Earning Trust
by TheBeetle'sBack
Summary: After the Chief of Police Judy, accidentally has Nicholas' son, Finnick, taken away from him, the two must work together In an effort to repair Nick's sleazy living style, and refit him for parenthood. (dad!Nick AU, along with Judy being the Chief of Police. This is NOT a retelling of the original movie. Rated T for potentially graphic injuries in future chapters.)
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I do hope you enjoy this story, as this is the first real attempt at writing a fanfiction I've made. ANY kind of criticism is accepted, from constructive to plain detest. I will try to answer them as well as possible. Thank you for reading!

It wasn't unusual to see a certain hustle about the city of Zootopia in the midmorning. To most, it remained tranquil enough that the sun was just peaking over the shortest buildings, and the smell of fresh rain hung heavy on the rafters, as well as the leaves of the sparse trees.

There was just a trivial amount of sound reverberating through the streets, which produced a calming white noise for most, and the transformers whirred and clicked as streetlights changed their primary colors.

The cities' earliest had already been claimed by their various work positions. Some began their professions later in the day, others were graced with a day off, and others still, of the most pessimistic behavior, didn't have a steady job, or rather, couldn't carry the weight of one on their shoulders for more than a month.

Often times, that cluster would turn to the illegal, taking a much higher risk for a potentially great reward. The majority were slovenly in even that, and ended up failing, but the rare few slipped past the clutches of the law, and acquired their payment without as much as a thought of their heinous act.

Nicholas Piberous Wilde was one of those wretched, 'civilized pedestrians.' He had a sleazy persona about him, and his very viscus was tainted with the horrific imageries of his preceding. From a youth, he had been diverse minded, exploiting the public school system to get his straight A's, which even his own household (as broken as it was) couldn't admit he deserved.

In the present day, it would be a falsity to say anything about his labour has reformed, for positive change is what makes a gentleman. Needless to be said, Nick was far from an ample gentleman.

His reckless and self-destructive behavior had earned him a distinct spot in an apartment complex towards the outer ring of the metropolis, along the right side of Cypress Grove Lane (with respect to the city hall). It wasn't a pleasant neighborhood, as matter of fact, the just would call it a villainous cesspool. Nick on the contrary called it a household; Or if you will, a home away from home.

Most of his daylight was spent on the streets, which was his real residence. As a matter of fact, that's where he was currently, brainstorming in the morning light, and plotting a new and subpar scheme of which he could make a profit.

Nick saw the city in a different, cynical way. Rather than appreciating the beauty of the early sunlight, he became frustrated by its unrelenting glare. Instead of smelling the fresh rain, he found the humidity in the city to be _so_ congesting that one might have to wear an oxygen mask just to preform one of life's basic functions.

The sound for him was by far the most detestable piece of the puzzle. Echoes of loud car horns, and the obnoxious buzz from the transformers on the telephone poles just completed the dismal scene. Yes, for him, the city was a dull and grey. Nothing changed, and that was for the better. It made people easier to manipulate, and as a result, his work was stable.

Of course, there were smiles to be had, but they were at best, quite rare. The fox often found joy in taking care of his adopted son, Finnick, who was the meager age of three. By this time, the child could adequately walk. However he was a mite lazy, and preferred to be rolled around in his stroller.

Nick didn't mind anyway, as having a pushchair made him less of an obvious target to the Zootopia Police Department. In addition, Finnick was very beneficial for some of the frauds he thought up.

Not that anything the fox was doing was _directly_ illegal, but given enough time, a well-trained Police officer could unravel the loopholes Nick tied, and best him at his own game. He also had a difficult time keeping a clear cognisant as well, for some reason. So, if Officers were looking his direction, he would often arch his shoulders, hunch his back, and increase his pace. This wasn't premeditated of course.

At the moment, though, there wasn't a, 'cop,' in sight. So, the fox continued to walk in his usual swayed fashion, pushing Finnick's stroller alongside him. Today, he was sporting a well cut, blue button up shirt, which was tucked neatly into his crème coloured corduroy khakis, and bound by a belt of a slightly darker pigment. Perhaps, if he didn't devote so much of his unbalanced budget to making himself look nice, then he could afford to live in a more suitable area of town. In his own defense, though, he was an _artist_ (of sorts). Looking flashy and fashionable was in his job description.

There was still a long stretch of sidewalk to his destination, but he was getting there. Just past a long line of parking meters, a dessert shop resided under the alias,'Jumbeaux's Café.' He didn't have the greatest indication of what he was attempting to accomplish, other than to purchase a Popsicle of unusually large proportions. The idea sounded modest, but given his overall size, and the stereotypical wellbeing of foxes, it wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

In practise, it was likely going to be much more difficult than in theory. He mulled over the possibilities of what could go wrong in his mind. Nonetheless, bills needed to be paid. His brainstorming session last evening came up vacant, and this scheme is what would reimburse his rent for another month, assuming it was successful.

Nick's feet began to move autonomously as he thought more and more about possible outcomes for the scam. Yet he was quickly stirred from his considerations by a loud horn blaring in his right ear. Apparently, he hadn't noticed the sidewalk melded into a road, which he was standing in the middle of.

The result was an outraged truck driver who nearly put his foot through the floor where the brake pedal used to be.

A gruff and angry voice echoed from one side of the vehicle, "Hey! Watch where you're going, _fox_!"

Nick sighed exasperatedly, and glanced down at the stroller with rounded eyes, making sure Finnick was sound, "Are you okay bud?"

Finnick did nothing but let his bottom lip tremble. The driver, though, was more than ready to get moving, and beeped his horn once more, sending the child into a fit. Nick briskly walked back onto the sidewalk, glaring angrily in the drivers' direction. At this point, though, it was too late to quiet the crying.

Even after a long steady walk towards their location, there were still tears in the little one's eyes. Once Nick reached the dessert shop, he paused, turned the stroller around, and lifted the front cover enough to see the clearly distraught infant.

"Shhh-shhh," he muttered, growing irritated from the noise the little fox was making, "Shh, okay! Okay! That's enough! That's _enough_!"

The crying continued persistently.

"Come on, I have work to do, and I can't do it with you acting like this. For daddy's sake dry the tears, please?"

Reason was out of the question. At Finnick's age, bargaining seemed to be the easiest and quickest way for a reprehensible parent to get their desired response.

"How about… We go into this _little_ shop, and get you a big Popsicle? Huh? Would that stop your whining, little buddy?"

The crying stopped, almost magically.

Nick let out another exhale. For him, it was common to see days go this badly. It may possibly be worth it, however, if he could pull this next trick off. He wandered casually into the café, pulling the stroller along with him, and flashing the cheesiest of smiles for everyone to see.

The front stand was about a foot taller than he was which served as a warning to any of those lesser in height. Nick chose to ignore the obvious, and the rather odd looks some of the guests were giving him. He waited patiently for his turn to order, and then proceeded, with a trifling amount of caution, towards the counter.

"Hello there!" After considering his options, Wilde decided to use the, 'desperate father,' rouse. Perhaps this large elephant had a heart of gold, which could be melted.

"I was wondering," He continued, lifting the stroller hood up to reveal the little child, eyes not completely void of tears yet from the ordeal outside, "Could I get one... uh… Jumbo pop, for me and my… _lovely_ little son here? I have the money to pay for it."

Unfortunately, no such luck. The large Mammal was apparently not in the mood to serve small predators, but his mannerism made it apparent he was ready at any time to argue.

He stooped over the counter, staring down at Nick with an expression as rigid as his sentiment, "Beat it, _fox_! Don't you know this café is for animals of a _larger_ size than you? Hate to break it to you, but you're _not_ one of 'em."

Nick narrowed his eyes very lightly. To most, they couldn't be considered tapered, but if a well-trained individual were to look hard enough, it was obvious he was attempting to conceal his resentment. He left the grin plastered to his face, as at this point removing it would cause quite the misfortune for his facet image.

Like a puppeteer, he pushed the corners of his mouth a little higher, and with a breathy voice, continued to speak meekly, "But, sir, you see… My son here _loves_ elephants. He wants to be just like one when he gets older, right buddy?"

At this, Finnick looked quite confused. He didn't _want_ to be an elephant; rather an, 'alternative businessman,' just like his dad.

He opened his mouth to speak his impotent mind, but was abruptly silenced with his father's hand; the mannerism, of such, appearing gentle, but startled Finnick enough to warrant small yelp.

Nick glanced back up, pulling his hand away quickly, and giving Finnick a fatherly pat on his head, "Heh-heh, see? He's trying to make a little elephant noises, aren't you, little guy?

"Anyway," he gave a small warning glance at Finnick to keep quiet, "Could you _please_ find it in your heart to let me purchase just _one_ Jumbo pop? As I said, I can pay for it."

Once again, Nick was turned down. This time, the elephant didn't even say as much as a word. He just waved a large, 'hand,' in the general direction of the fox, and turned to walk away. At this point, Nick's ostentatious appearance began to falter.

Perhaps this scheme was a bit over his head. After all, it was risky in the first place even entering, but to get the largest item on the menu? Trivial, almost silly now that he thought about it. At that moment, though, a bell rang, not within Nick's conscious, rather on the entrance door leading into the café.

It seemed within the bleakest hour of Nick's social engineering came a fool with a bleeding heart, ready to save him from the predicament he had placed himself in. In this case, he turned his head to watch none other than the Chief of Police, Judy Hopps, walking through the door.

She was apparently off duty, clad in a long mustard trench coat. However, her peppy spirit remained about her as she paced into the room, passing the various visitors to get to the front counter. There was a certain aura of anger around her as well, almost as if she understood the commotion Nick had created, and was very much ready to solve it.

She cleared her throat, before starting into the conversation, "Excuse me? What is the problem here?"

Nick stepped back, and decided to watch the quarrel happen. And indeed, a quarrel _did_ happen. It was apparent the elephant had confrontations with Police before, as he seemed to brush a majority of Judy's arguments off. Fortunately, the adept detective was observant enough to notice several health code violations around the building, which brought the dispute to a close, in high favor of Judy.

There was a certain satisfaction Nick felt in knowing he had caused a problem, and yet somehow receiving a reward for doing so. In this case, the large Popsicle was his ill-gotten prize.

"So, to finalize," Judy glanced up, speaking in an assertive, but gentle tone, "You have no religious or cultural constraints to keep from serving him, and he most _certainly_ has the money to pay for it. I think you should go ahead and give this kind person what he asked for, _or_ … I might have to go down to the station, and file a health code report."

It was over. The large elephant had lost his case against a small rabbit. Judy glanced over at Nick, expecting him now to pay for the item in question. He reached into his back pocket, making for his wallet, but paused, sighing loudly, "Oh dear… no wallet… I must've left it at home. I'm so sorry, son, I thought I brought it with me. Oh, and you, miss!"

He turned to face Judy, his tone of voice adapting a most dreadfully gloomy sound, "My sincerest apologies… After all you've done for me, and I can't even afford it. Well, thank you so much for trying, anyway."

Nick was taking a large risk. After all, he _did_ have the money to pay. Judy could easily walk away, and at that point, it wasn't likely he was going to receive anything from the bistro. He had a nagging suspicion though, that the Officer aiding him, after going so far, wouldn't turn back now.

As he turned to leave, Judy watched, compassion overwhelming all sense of logical thought. Even the child seemed to have tears in his eyes from not being able to enjoy such a delicious treat, "But, sir, you can't-" She stopped herself, turning back to the counter and placing the proper amount of money upon it.

Speaking a bit louder, Judy glanced over her shoulder, So Nick was sure to hear it, "Sir, come back! I'll pay for it; you don't need to go all the way home, alright?"

Nick rotated again, percolating so deeply into his self-perceived brilliance that his smile grew larger, adapting more sly edge, "You would do that for me? Oh, thank you so much. You have no idea how much you are helping right now. I don't know if I could get this little guy home without the tears starting to fall!"

"Mmhm," She mumbled, setting the large Jumbo pop underneath the stroller, "I'll set this here so that you can move it easily. Do you need anything else?"

"No, honestly, you've done _more_ than enough." He masked a smirk as a giddy laugh, before glancing down at the stroller, "can you say thank you to the nice lady? Say, 'thank you, Police-woman!'"

Finnick gave no reply. He simply stared, waiting patiently for the Popsicle he wouldn't actually end up receiving.

"He's not much of a talker, Officer," Nick chuckled, almost genuinely.

Judy gave a warm smile at Finnick, before glancing back, "Call me Judy, Sir, and if you ever need anything else, I'll do my best to help. It's my job, after all."

The fox had no intentions of ever needing her again. Or any other member of the Police Department, for that matter, "You can call me Nick, then, and I will ask if I need you.

"I should be going now, though, as I kind of need to catch up on some… errands. Once again, thank you for all your help, Officer Judy."

"Just call me Judy," she nodded, "And you are more than welcome. Enjoy those errands, Mr. Nick."

The two parted ways with a wave of the hand, before returning to their previous affairs. Judy was happy to have helped someone (In a way), while Nick, the immoral type, was just happy to be out of that predicament. At last, he could begin networking his plan together into a web of success. The most demanding part was finished, and from here it seemed like calm waters.

And so it was. Other than Nick having to share a small portion of the Popsicle with his toddler to discontinue the whining, things went by quite smoothly. He began his moneymaking excursion by melting the large Popsicle atop a roof, before collecting the melted solution in equally sized jars.

From there, He traveled with them on the rack below the stroller, to the frozen side of the city, which hadn't quite felt the sun's warm embrace yet. He started into making imprints in the snow with his paws, (a health code violation of its own) and filing each one to the brim with the liquid he had collected a quarter of an hour before.

It took quite a bit of time for that liquid to fully re-solidify. Time spent by Nick patiently waiting, and entertaining his life's guest, who so eloquently fit into a stroller. Although Nick was the observant type, he would often lose himself to his thoughts, his work, and his play without as much as a glance at reality until he was finished with them. In this case, he was spending time with his adoption, chatting the minutes away to a figure who understood very little of his troubles, yet still felt inclined to listen.

Perhaps this was why Wilde cared so much for the child. Simply because he would pay attention to him drawling on and on about his undertakings, and provided there was the occasional joke or exciting story, Finnick was happy, almost elated, to partake in the one sided conversation.

Both of them, though, were so preoccupied by the banter, they weren't aware of their surroundings (Finnick never was anyway). Had they been looking, they could've seen a small, yet critically important, rabbit poised around the corner of a dry-cleaning building, watching their every move.

Now Law Enforcement Officers didn't get many days off in the city of Zootopia, especially the Chief of Police. It wasn't uncommon for Judy to work fourteen hour days, which wore both her physical and mental processing raw.

However, even on those few days where rest was graciously given, her keen observational training prohibited her from truly enjoying her time. Being part of the department changed her from a relaxed and excited woman of opportunity, to a hardened, intellectual woman of heroism. She couldn't turn the skills she had learned off, and that served as both a blessing and a curse.

In this case, it was a mix of both. Her curiosity, and Nick's sordid luck, had led her to pursue him from afar, whether intentionally or not she couldn't say. It was more of a casual meander on her part, which, after catching sight of the fox's behavior, changed into a saunter of purpose. She didn't quite have a clue what Nick was doing, but an instinct within told her it wasn't kosher, and it wasn't virtuous.

At this pace, Nick would soon find himself in terribly serious trouble, not just from an Officer, but from an Officer who had seen it all, and despised those who attempted to bend the law to their will. To Judy, loopholes were just as disgusting as homicides, and she was ready at a moment's notice to close them, and rightly punish the individual who employed them.

It didn't help Nick either, that Judy was having quite the poor day off. Despite her life's outlook being mostly optimistic, there were days in which, 'down in the dumps,' was an apropos expression of her mood. Within those times, she could put on a smile to those pleasant in attitude, but any who openly broke the law deserved every portion of her wrath.

The unwise criminals found difficulty in taking her seriously. Anyone who met the short end of her firearm, Taser, or temperament did quickly change their expectations, in spite of it being a bit too late.

Nick, of course, wasn't aware of any of this. He was just going about his crooked day, making money off of others' stupidity, and entertaining a child who hadn't the slightest clue what soiled acts his father preformed daily. By this time, the Popsicles were done solidifying into their new forms. Nick gathered them up by the sticks he inserted into them prior to setting, and placed them underneath the carriage.

As he started on his way back towards the heart of the city, Judy continued her pursuit at a distance. She was a tad curious as to what the fox was doing, and how he was going to go about doing it. The concept was easy enough for her to grasp, he was going to sell them. But just how, and why, would anyone purchase a thing as pointless as this if they could get it much cheaper most other shops or stands?

The fox, though, had a memorizing appeal about him that most couldn't understand. It wasn't that of handsomeness per say, although most would agree he was quite charming. Rather, it was his constant, yet dishonest, boldness that created the illusion he was comfortable to be around.

Since childhood, it had been this way for him. Even if one disliked his attitude or craftiness, there was no denying he could look designer in anything, anywhere, at any time. His naturally snappy hand gestures and witty humour made him the perfect salesman, and he could quickly learn about a person just by engaging them in conversation.

Such abilities allowed him to change his selling strategy for each individual he met, and as a result, he made the textbook candidate for retailing to the masses.

It wasn't long before Judy discovered those facts anyway. Nick disappeared from her view and slipped into a small alleyway for a short time, before returning with a cardboard box placed over Finnick's carriage, and a peppy grin. The box was covered with holes clearly poked through by Wilde's claws, and had a, 'Paw-psicle,' protruding from each.

At least, that was the assumed name of the product, which Nick had written sloppily on the side of the cardboard box. Underneath it was the closed lid of the stroller, where Finnick sat inside, a bit confused as to why it had gotten so dark. The box wasn't particularly harmful to the child, but it was terribly irresponsible, and in a way symbolic of Nick's parenting, 'style.'

Of course, most of his customers hadn't the slightest clue that his push-vehicle was even a buggy. It simply appeared to be a stylistically junky approach to serving modern convenience treats, and in a way, it was.

Judy watched, in a hint of dismay, as the popsicles flew off the cart and into the hands of stupidly greedy customers, gleefully ready to pay the amount it normally would cost to buy a whole carton of sweets from a shop. He had picked a good warm day to sell them, and a mass of hungry animals quickly surrounded the cart. At this point, regardless of being off duty, Hopps was more than ready to jump in and foil the already successful business.

Stepping around from the block corner, she made her way towards Nick's makeshift cart, and placed herself in line as everyone else did. That angry aura returned to her once more, only this time it was directed at the slovenly fox instead.

Wilde was counting money underneath the cart, so once she finally arrived at the front of the line, he wasn't paying a great deal of attention. That is, he _wasn't_ until she spoke up, sounding exceedingly disappointed, and above all else, livid.

"Mr. Nick… What is your _problem_?"

Nick's joyful smile quickly faltered. He recognized the Chief of Police's tone, not just because of earlier. Judy was on the news quite often, and her distinctly soft yet emphatic voice was quite well known, especially to Nick's specific breed of entrepreneurs. Still though, he kept his composure, as he had learned to do in tight situations such as this.

The best part about abusing the legal system is that Judy really couldn't pin him for marketing food to the public if he had a sales certificate, which he did. On top of that, there wasn't the slightest bit of evidence, save for unreliable eye witness accounts, that could get him arrested for the methods used to make such Popsicles.

With those thoughts, he felt a bit more at ease to toy with such an important figure of authority, and to begin he glanced up, beaming ironically.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_ Officer _Hopps_ , we don't _serve_ rabbits here."

The Officer in question was the type to very quickly anger, and by now the crowd had thinned out a considerable amount. One by one, people realized the rabbit was the Chief of Police, and recognized the large dispute that was about to happen. Nobody had the desire to get involved, except for the fox that, once again, caused the problem and Hopps that, once again, was ready to solve it.

It was more personal this time, though. She felt betrayed, which even being in law enforcement for a long time, was a rare feeling.

After fuming for a moment over Nick's reply, she formulated the publicly proper words to say, "Mr. Nick, you are illegally selling consumer items to the public. I _regret_ to inform you that you're under arrest."

The venom in her voice dripped off the end of each of her words; capitalizing on those she meant the most. Her ears flattened, in accompaniment of her narrowed eyebrows. Still though, Nick kept his serenity, and calmly lifted a small piece of paper out of his pocket. He proceeded to unfold it a few times, revealing the Certificate of Sales, " _Please_ , just call me Nick, and look, Officer, a sales certificate!"

By this time, all of the people around the cart had left, leaving just the two bickering adults, neither of them behaving in a completely mature manner. He spoke up again, "In case you didn't know, this allows me to sell any food items I want. You can't pin me, meter maid, I've done this a thousand times before."

Judy quickly spat her retaliation with equal toxicity, the insults apparently not phasing her, "Well, How about your repulsive methods of acquiring those so called, 'food items?' I saw you melt the thing in a grimy storm pipe!" Several people who had purchased a Popsicle wretched on their way out of the area.

"I'm going to have that license taken away from you." She stated simply, and produced a smug look.

"You are going to take my license away on the grounds of _one_ eyewitness account? I don't think that's something you can get away with, cop, now don't you agree?" Nick raised the box up off the carriage and set it back in the alleyway casually, before grabbing the handlebars, flipping the top up to give Finnick some fresh air, and walking away.

Judy tailed him quickly, ears pressing against her forehead in a bitter manner. As aggravating as it was to admit it, Nick was right. Being off duty, she hadn't been carrying a camera, or any other way of producing viable evidence.

"Now just wait a minute, _slick_ Nick, you used me!"

"Oh I did, yes. Like a garbage bag." Was his ill-considered response.

"I was trying to be generous and you took that for granted!"

"Mmhm, people do that in this city. You should know, being a _super_ important Police Officer and all." Once again, he showed little attention in his answer.

"You have a son, and you're letting him see all this? He only has one chance to live life, and you're screwing him up already." She tried, growing further upset by his attitude.

"Your right, I shouldn't be letting him see all this," Nick sighed mechanically, before closing the lid on the stroller and grinning, "There. Now he can't see a thing."

"Oh, you know what I mean," She hissed through gritted teeth, "It's no wonder with that attitude you haven't gotten anywhere in life, but why bother having a kid if you're just going to mess him up?"

"I've gotten far in life, and I'm not _going_ to mess him up." He waved an arm methodically.

"Yes you are!" Judy let out an irritated giggle, "If you have no trouble lying outright to an Officer of the law then you-"

"Shh," Nick placed his pointer finger over her mouth to silence her, "There's nothing left to say. I know you're the Chief of Police. I know you have to try and look impressive and important. I _even_ know you have to maintain a certain public image, but you need to stop talking and keep your ideas to yourself. I'm a great father, _and_ a great businessman. I do what I can to survive with the natural talents I have. Besides, it looks like I'm pretty good at fooling fools, right Chief?"

Glancing back forward in a nonchalant manner, Nick continued his swayed walk, "I haven't done anything wrong, remember? If you leave, then we can both dawdle about our days pretending this never happened. Won't that be great?"

"Yeah, you would like that. That's not going happen though, Nick." Judy replied.

Nick continued staring forward, avoiding eye contact, "Well then at least let it rest a day. I've got to get this little guy home safe and sound. If you need to kill some time, there's a good bush over there you can hide an egg in."

With a sigh, Judy slowed down a bit, and watched the fox turn the block corner. There was no use arguing with a brick wall, especially a clever one. Not many people could outsmart a member of law enforcement, especially with the long training process of handling criminals. It seemed, in a way, Wilde hadn't done anything wrong, and legally, he hadn't.

At least, nothing she could directly charge him for. In a rare change of circumstance, a suspect had completely evaded any and all custodies. There was a reason that wasn't common. Her branch was good at what they did, and she was the best.

She turned the corner quickly, and watched the fox leave, "You've bothered with the wrong department, Nick! You _will_ get charged for _all_ of your scams, you hear me!"

Nick replied, not with words, but with a light chuckle and an extended middle finger, kept just out of sight of his infant.

Judy rolled her eyes, and huffed angrily, before disregarding the scene. At that moment though, a thought came to her mind. It was a just thought, with a slightly sinister purpose. It could both save a child's future, as well as ruin many of Nick's schemes. She mulled it over in her mind for a moment, the positive smile returning to her face, before racing down the street to the nearest payphone, and inserting a quarter.

"Y-Yes, hello?" She had never been much of a phone conversationalist, "This is Judy Hopps, Chief of Police. I am currently off duty, but can you transfer my call to child services please? I'd like to file a report."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning started unlike most for Nick. He was prone to sleeping in, so the alarm clock on his nightstand was sure to be vigilant in its ringing. Despite being on time every morning at half past six, the poor thing was often walloped over the head on the button marked, 'snooze.' Just to shut it up. This morning, though, was different. No alarm clock could be heard, or any other item in the house that needed power. On the kitchen table, was an electric bill the lazy fox had forgotten to pay nearly a week ago.

It came as quite the surprise to him upon waking. The clock face appeared to be blank, along with every other electronic device. Perhaps the most frustrating thing was the complete and utter lack of coffee, which he relied on heavily to get through the day. Realization did come to him shortly after seeing the notice on the table, though. According to Nick's watch, which ran ten minutes early, it was about ten O'clock. The primary thing on his agenda today was pay the bill, then figure out how to make enough to pay it the next month. This was how he lived a majority of the time; barely keeping his head above the water, and surviving from paycheck to paycheck. Although eccentrically clever, he had never been taught how to properly manage money.

About fifteen minutes to eleven, most of Nick's morning tasks were complete. He had gotten Finnick ready for the day, had a small breakfast, and changed into everyday clothes. In the middle of brushing his teeth, a loud knock came at his door. Normally, a knock meant trouble in this area of the neighborhood, which was why Nick had several door latches installed.

He spat the toothpaste out of his mouth and quickly set his brush back on the countertop before hustling over to the door, and looking into the peephole. To his surprise, standing on his doorstep was Judy Hopps, dressed in full uniform and waiting patiently for someone to answer her knock.

The conversation yesterday between child services and the Officer hadn't gone completely well. Once again, they were looking for more evidence to sustain Judy's report of neglectful parenthood. However, they had provided her with a template she could use to prove her case. She needed several written and photographed examples of disregardful parenting. Then she could properly ask for the child to be removed from his care.

It was this conversation with the department that put her at Nick's doorway in the first place. She wasn't, of course, going to explain to Nick what exactly her intentions were. Rather, she had come up with a, 'clever,' fib to tell him.

Nick, on the other hand, was in no mood to be followed around. He had overslept, under ate, and hadn't a drop of coffee to satisfy his heavy addiction to caffeine. Not to mention the long walk he had to take to pay his electric bill. In essence, before noon, everything that could possibly go wrong had done so already. He turned and began to walk away from the door, glaring heavily.

"Nick, I know you're in there, just open the door." Judy stated loudly.

No response whatsoever.

"Well, you'll have to come out at some point, _bud_ , and I'll be right here."

The door finally opened, revealing an angry fox, "What do you want, _carrots_? I'm busy."

"What I want," She put a hand on her waste, "Is to let you know this: Due to your recent activity that is _borderline_ illegal… You're on probation. I'll be keeping an eye on you whenever you are outside of your living space."

"…What?" Nick ground his teeth together, staring down at the rabbit.

"You heard me, Nick." She smirked good-naturedly, "So, I know you never wanted to see me again, but here I am, and here I'll be."

"…Let me get this straight," Nick closed his eyes, holding his arms out for a moment, "You are going to follow me around… _All_ day? Watching my every move… For what reason?"

"Yes, I am going to be, and I think you know why I'm watching you. If you had a solid job with steady pay, we wouldn't be having this problem, now would we?"

He deadpanned for a moment, and then let his fake smile return. There wasn't much on his plate for the next little while, other than earning some more cash. Besides, there was plenty of time for scheme's later. He could stand to entertain a rabbit for now.

"Alright, that's fine. I'm not doing anything today anyway. Just going to pay a bill, then I'll be right back home."

"Good, I should have nothing to worry about, then. Are you going out right now?" Judy copied his forged smile.

"As a matter of fact, I am." He pushed past her roughly and began his tread down the sidewalk confidently.

"Nick. You forgot your child." She gave him a flattened expression.

"Oh, Right..." He turned and wandered back into his house, shoulders arched, before returning assertively with Finnick, tucked gently into his stroller.

Judy swiftly scribbled a few things down on the clipboard she was carrying, and glanced back up, "Well, go on. Don't let me stop you from your daily routine."

Nick glowered, watching her write, and then began walking. It wasn't his average casual walk, though, it was more cautious. Having the thought that someone was watching your every move was eerie, knowing was simply disturbing.

He felt more heavily affected by being surveyed, as most of what he did on a day to day basis wasn't something to be honoured by. The need to be even more imaginary than usual came to him, which wasn't a comfortable sensation. As a matter of fact, it was frustrating, and he continuously glanced back at the rabbit tailing him with a solemnly bitter expression.

After about a mile he finally turned around, staring at her, "Look, do you _have_ to be on my heel? Why not stand a few feet or… a _mile_ back?"

Judy feigned a caring look, and spoke in a dramatically soft voice, "Aww, Will that make you feel _better_? First of all, I'm not _tailing_ you, I'm just following you."

"Yeah well," Nick cocked his neck to a side, clearly irritated, "It's bothering me, so-"

"Fine, I'll stand farther back if it bothers you that much." The rabbit wanted to say, _'If you are that much of a wimp,'_ but there was no reason to cause an argument just yet. Besides, she didn't need to be close to watch him, and it would be easier to get photographic evidence of his insensible childcare at a distance anyway. The department wasn't specific as to how much proof was needed, but a few documented situations would likely suffice.

And so they walked. Nick would sigh unpleasantly with the thought of being tailed on his mind, and Judy would eagerly watch him, waiting for him to make a trivial mistake. Bill payment was done at a security box next to the city hall, which meant it was a bit of a walk from the place Nick called home.

With full knowledge of the pursuer, he acted upon his best behavior, resisting the urge to discreetly snack on the open vendor's stands. He still didn't have a clue, though, of Judy's true intent.

There was something surreal about the walk. The bitter fox started muttering down in the direction of the stroller, beginning the one sided conversation with his infant again. This time there wasn't a joke to be heard, just complaints and the occasional well-whispered curse. Judy, who had increased her pace to keep up, let her ears wander to the conversation, and began writing a few quotes down. Nick caught sound of the scribbling pencil, which only increased his frustration.

He turned sharply, and glanced down, letting the penmanship focused rabbit bump into his torso, "What are you writing about, Cottontail? Every time I say something you start scrawling across the page. Now, I'm no _expert_ , but I _think_ that means you're putting my words on that paper, Hm?"

"You're going to want to refrain from calling me, 'cottontail.' And no, actually!" She lied, "Don't kid yourself, you're not that important. I'm not writing about you."

"Then why are you this close to me? Almost as if you were…" The fox drew out his last word, "Listening?"

"No. I just wasn't paying attention," She smirked sarcastically, "because I was writing. But, _Oh_ , I'm so _sorry_ for entering your personal bubble."

After stepping a few sidewalks back, she glowered, "How's that?"

"You're fine there, Carrots, just don't get any closer. I'd like to be able to inhale without the smell of your breath nearby."

"Very mature, slick Nick. I'll be here if you need me."

He wouldn't need her for anything. _Ever_. Fortunately, the city hall was getting closer with every step. He was on his way out of this nightmare; afterwards he could return home and stay there without the watchful eye of the Police Chief.

It wasn't that Nick enjoyed being alone, he simply disliked being around people he didn't know very well. That and, those who were attempting to place him behind bars. In essence, he kept to himself and refuted change. After all, moving about didn't produce stable work, and therefore, stable pay.

On the side of the City Hall was a deposit box, in which bills, along with their correct payment amounts, were to be inserted. Nick made his way over it, and set the stroller on the sidewalk to the right of him, "There you are, Fin, a front row seat to watch your good old daddy pour out almost every cent he currently owns..."

Giving a sly look behind him, he lifted his wallet out of his pocket, "Oh hey, there's my wallet! Funny, I couldn't find it yesterday!"

Judy fumed.

"Let's see…" Nick began gathering up the proper funds in which to regain his lost coffee maker. He wasn't paying a great deal of attention as to what was going on around him, otherwise he would've been noticing the stroller steadily beginning to roll away from his immediate grasp. While in the heart of the city, the structure Nick was standing at resided on a slope. It wasn't too intense of an angle, but it was enough to get a pair of wheels rolling.

Judy watched, in a hint of dismal excitement, as the stroller began to spool. This was a _perfect_ example of detestable parenting. She shakily lifted up a camera, snapped a photo, and began writing vigorously about the ordeal.

Her exhilaration at potentially, _'Catching the bad guy,'_ overshadowed any presently rational thought. The more she wrote, though, the more she began to realize the sudden severity of the situation.

There was a stroller, with a budding young child inside of it, heading down an incline right next to a large street. Not just a large street, but a very _busy_ large street, with fast moving vehicles of _all_ sizes. Her own lack of empathy began to sicken her, and at this point, she was slightly afraid to glance away from her clipboard.

After a split second (which felt like an hour), she mustered the urge to glance up. Her ears immediately fell, as the suspicions turned out proper. There was the buggy, on its way down the hill, right towards the cross area of a busy intersection.

Had the situation been a bit less rigorous, she felt like scolding Nick for his lack of observation. At this point, though, the only words that could come out of her mouth were that of pure concern.

"Um, N-Nick. Nick! Your son!"

Nick had been totalling his funds during this time, and after her yell he glanced up wistfully, "Aw, Rabbit! You made me lose coun-."

Her words registered within his cognisant, and he snapped his view to the right, looking horrified. By this time, the carriage was half way towards the junction. Finnick, despite not uttering a sound up until this point, had suddenly begun to let out small yelps.

In a spurt of adrenaline, Nick took off down the sidewalk, leaving his wallet behind. One single thing mattered to him in that moment, keeping Finnick as far away from the open road as possible. Despite running faster than he had the entirety of his life, Hopps passed him effortlessly, stepping with the same amount of urgency.

Even though the situation was quite grave, it must have been morbidly comical to passersby. The sight of two fully grown adults running at breakneck speeds down the street, while nearly tripping multiple times, could've at least produced some internal merriment.

Half a second from Finnick reaching the car infested intersection, Judy quickly grasped the handle of the carriage, jerking it back to the safety of the walkway. Finnick still wasn't quite certain as to what was going on. The fast movement of his buggy, coupled with the air deprived expression of the rabbit holding it, did make him want to cry though.

Nick arrived a few moments later, still wheezing, and holding his cramped side. Glancing down at Finnick, he quickly lifted the child up, and gave him a firm hug.

"Are you-… Alright, buddy?" He spat through deep lungful's of air, "I might've, uh… Let go of your stroller for a minute. Everything's fine though, right?"

Finnick nodded his head, watching him blankly. He hadn't the slightest clue how close he had come to serious injuries.

"Sorry about scaring you, okay. I won't let that _ever_ happen again." Nick planted a peck on the child's forehead, before exhaling slowly.

Judy blinked, examining the scene in front of her. Nick's expressionism looked quite sincere, almost as if he _did_ actually care for the infant. Originally, she thought the fox was simply using him in order to gain sympathy from those he was trying to scam. Now, it didn't quite look the same.

Her heart ached as well after what happened; being so focused upon finding a flaw in Nick that it almost cost the life of a child. On the other hand, she saved him from imminent danger. Needless to be said, Judy was conflicted.

"Well," She finally spoke up, eliminating the prolonged silence, "I'm glad I could save him for you."

Stillness once again ensued, as Nick set the child back down. Judy had just touched a nerve.

"Save him… _For_ me?" Nick stared at her, sighing bitterly, "I _think_ I could've caught up to the stroller in time without you."

Judy chuckled, doing her best to appear valiant, "Nah, he would've made it to the intersection by then. You don't need to thank me, though. It's my duty as a Police Chief."

Nick said nothing, bothered by the Officer's arrogant answer. He brushed her hands off the grip of the pushchair, and began back up the hill silently.

The Rabbit watched for a moment, and then glanced down at her clipboard. Something didn't feel reasonably right about continuing the file. At this point, Nick wasn't acting like a purposefully neglecting father figure; he just looked very uneducated, and at times ditzy.

What at first seemed like a lack of empathy turned out to be a lack of instruction. Perhaps removing the child from his care was a brash decision.

Nick returned to his original location atop the incline and snatched up his wallet, which was miraculously still there. He had just slipped the envelope into the deposit box when Judy arrived, still keeping Nick's designated, 'ten feet away at all times,' rule.

"Well," She called, "You've finished your errands for the day. Isn't that right, Mr. Nick?"

Still rancorous from Judy's comments, Wilde didn't respond. He wasn't in the mood to converse, especially with her. One of the few individuals he cared about just came close to being seriously injured by a moving vehicle. It was a selfish thought, but _he_ wanted to be Finnick's hero.

His desire was to have the child grow up aspiring to be like his _father_ , not a random Police Officer. Judy shouldn't have even been there in the first place without yesterday's excursion. Nick wouldn't have been able to catch the buggy before it was too late, but that was a thought he refused to think. If he couldn't even retain the life of his own, what kind of a father figure was he?

That's what troubled him the most. It wasn't his hatred for the Officer, but rather not being able to save the infant _without_ her. He wanted to be a rampart for Finnick; a being of incredible reliability, even when a life was at stake.

Nick never really had a, 'dad,' to speak of, and that's exactly who he was trying to be. It was difficult attempting to mimic something you've never truly experienced, and yet be everything for someone so dependent.

Judy, on the other hand, hadn't the slightest clue about Nick's past, and cared little for his present. Still, the most recent situation the both of them stumbled into made her reconsider the outlook she originally had on the fox.

She caught up to him again, and glanced up, attempting to lighten the mood after what had just transpired, "Well, that was a close one, huh?"

"I said ten feet, cottontail," Was Nick's hasty reply.

The Officer's mood instantly soured, as once again the fox had changed her positivity into glumness, "Alright Nick, what's your glitch? Just half an hour ago you were cracking jokes, albeit _most_ directed at me. Now you, a grown man, are giving the silent treatment."

"I just…" Nick stared distantly for a split second, before snapping a glare upon the rabbit, "You said you would stand back, so stay back."

"Don't dodge the question, why are you so quiet?" Judy cocked her head to the side, unaware of Nick's internal conflict.

"Listen, carrots, it's none of your business," His hissed, "If I wanted to talk about personal rubbish like this, I would go see a therapist. _Not_ some random nosey cop who wants nothing more than to humiliate me."

The last part was spoken quite quickly. Judy frowned, starting to piece things together in her mind. She timidly spoke up, "Is this… Because I saved Finnick and you… Didn't?"

"Are you kidding? No." He fibbed, "Besides. You didn't _save_ him. I had everything under control."

"Under control?" The Officer snickered naively, "May I remind you who let go of the stroller in the first place?"

"It was an accident!" Nick's voice finally rose, arching his shoulders defensively, "You think I meant to do that?!"

The increase in volume startled Judy momentarily, but after collecting herself, she returned the amplified tone, "Of course not! But you _still_ did it. 'Not meaning to,' doesn't excuse stupid behavior."

"Stupid behavior?! I was busy at the time, rabbit. I get _very_ occupied with what I'm doing sometimes."

"Well then, maybe you need to rethink your priorities because as _I_ recall, a life is more important than an electric bill!" Judy returned, nearing the end of her rope with Nick's warped mindset.

"Alright, I give up! I wasn't thinking, and I wasn't paying attention. Happy?! Great." Wilde began pushing the cart again, "I'm going back home. You don't need to follow me because I'll be there for the rest of the day."

"Yeah, nice try! Who knows what manipulative scheme you are going to get into if I left you alone. I'm going with you." Judy smiled smugly, folding her arms.

The Officer watched Nick roll his eyes, and continue walking. She began to follow, then paused, turned, and bolted off in the other direction, "I'll be right back, _then_ I'm following you home, got it?!"

She returned to the city hall, scribbling furiously on her clipboard. There was a plastic container hovering just next to the deposit box, containing several crème coloured envelopes. After grabbing one, she opened it up, placing several forms, and the paper containing her written accounts of Nick's childcare into it.

Just before closing it, she remembered possibly the most important piece of evidence, the camera's memory chip. She quickly placed it inside the slip, before licking the seam and sealing it. The prior conversation had once again, changed her mind about Nick. It would seem that he was far too immature, lazy, unobservant, and scandalous to be a father. In the end, though, she was letting her emotions skew any kind of logic.

Hopps placed the envelope into the deposit box, and raced back towards Nick's last seen location. At this point, she didn't feel surprised anymore to perceive the arrogant fox breaking the law. This time is was a simple Jaywalk across a red light.

"Well," she pulled a notepad out of her pocket, speaking quietly to herself, "At _least_ I can fine him for now. Maybe he'll actually learn something from this."

Nick wasn't intentionally breaking the law. He wasn't doing it out of spite, or anger. It was pure accident, as he had caught himself up again in his own considerations. This was the second rotten day in a row for him, and it definitely showed in his body language.

He was preoccupying his mind with self-piteous thoughts, attempting in his own mind to turn himself into the victim, despite a majority of the time, being the problem.

In this situation, he had come up with an excellent lie to tell himself. It was simple really. People needed to mind their own matters, and leave him alone. He had done nothing wrong, except go out today in the first place. The electric bill really could've waited anyway.

In an unsurprising twist of bad fortune, a familiar horn blared loudly, snapping Nick out of his mind again. He crooked his head to the left, realizing this time _he_ was the one in the middle of a busy intersection

. The vehicle approaching him looked to be the same truck as yesterday. It sounded similar as well, although something was different about it. Realization hit Nick a second later. This time, it was moving much faster, and it didn't show any signs of stopping.

He didn't have time to curse his misfortune, nor time to get out of the way. There was one thing he could do, though, and it meant more to him right now than serious injury.

Mustering up what strength he could find amidst the terror of the situation, he shoved the carriage that contained Finnick as hard as he could, and then steadied for what appeared to be a grisly impact.

Finnick's buggy made it securely to the other side of the cross walk, but secure wasn't a word that could be used to describe the infant's father. The truck's front wheels screeched loudly as the driver applied the brakes. In spite of that, though, Nick still found himself feeling the vehicle's front end slamming against him.

His shoulder took the largest force of impact, followed by the left side of his rib cage, and the momentum of the crash sent him tumbling to the ground, coughing manically.

Judy had heard the loud crash, but this time, showed no hesitation in discerning what happened. She raced towards the dismal scene, and stared openly in horror as a pool of blood began to collect from the left side of Nick, who was still gasping for breath.

"N-Nick! Oh my gosh!" She sputtered, crouching down next to him. All of her harsh feelings towards Wilde had quickly dissipated. It didn't matter who the victim was, she despised seeing anyone fall victim to the city's dangerous streets.

Nick lolled his eyes around for a moment, trying to find the rabbit standing right in front of him, before mumbling treacherously, "Y-You're an O-Officer… C-Call an a-ambulance!"

The Chief's training dictated to remove the immediate danger before calling anyone, so she quickly tore a line of fabric from the sleeve of her uniform, and wrapped the Fox's shoulder in an attempt to pressurise the wound.

"Alright Nick, just r-relax, okay? I need to pick you up and get you out of the road. This might hurt a little." Before Nick had the chance to detest, he was being dragged off of the crosswalk towards safety. This maneuver didn't go without a miserable growl of pain. Nick's undershirt was heavily saturated with crimson, and a muddy trail of red perused them both to the curb.

The truck driver had long since left the scene, and he had done so quite quickly at that. Judy set the injured fox down carefully, before standing up. She nearly dropped her cell phone from trying to snatch it out of her pocket. Afterwards, she dialed quickly, and raised it to hear ear, practically yelling into the receiver, "Hello?! This is the Chief of Police, Judy Hopps. We need an ambulance at… The Intersection of 12th Maine and Olive Branch. A pedestrian has b-been hit, please hurry!"

As news gathered of the injury, the walkways and intersections became vacant. Judy sat by Nick until the ambulance arrived, rocking the stroller gently, in an attempt to quiet the wailing infant. That sick feeling had returned to her a while ago, and she was taking larger breaths than normal to compensate.

Wilde was slipping in and out of consciousness due to a decrease in visceral pressure, leaving the Officer to her thoughts. She wanted to blame Nick again for what had happened, but it didn't feel quite right to do so. Mistakes were mistakes, and as long as one learned from them, there was nothing wrong with making them in the first place.

Before the crash, Nick had both hands firmly on the stroller, to ensure he didn't let go of it again. He learned from earlier when Finnick's buggy had made its way down the hill. It was mindless to think that Nick was incapable of erudition. After all, it did appear as though he was really trying to be a good father.

As a matter of fact, Nick _had_ _just_ saved the child by putting his own life in jeopardy. Someone who had no regard for their family wouldn't do a thing like that. He had truly used every ounce of his presence shoving the carriage to the safety of the curb.

And there she was, writing a ticket to fine him with, while Nick was sacrificing an arm and a few ribs for the wellbeing of his son.

She felt completely heartless.

It seemed to take hours for the ambulance to get there, despite it arriving minutes after the wreck. From there, the injured fox was stabilized, and placed onto a stretcher. Judy assisted lifting the gurney into the vehicle, and from there the staff climbed back into the ambulance, and drove off. There were many Officer's on scene as well, blocking off the intersection, and securing the scene.

"Chief," A stout looking Policeman squinted over at Judy, "You know there's a child here, right?"

Judy glanced over, sighing. The excitement of the wreck had long since passed her, leaving her with an empty feeling, "Yes, I'm aware. I was the first one on-scene. We just need to… Bring him down to the station for now. Until his father's better, which shouldn't be too long, right?"

"We'll see what happens," Was the other Officer's reply, "When should we do that?"

"Don't worry about it," the rabbit blinked, "I'll take him down there."

Judy grasped the handles of the carriage, and glanced down at the teary-eyed child. She wanted to say something, but at the moment was unable to muster the urge to converse outside of business.

The Police station was relatively close to the city hall, and the day was, fortunately, almost over. By this time, the sun had gone down, and the street lights illuminated her path to the headquarters. It was a calm walk back, pushing the carriage along. That is, it _was_ until a solitary realization struck her.

"T-The forms!"

She never really had the intention of sending the forms and evidence to child services. It was done out of irritation for Nick's attitude. After what had just happened to him, though, this would just be adding a devious insult to injury.

Changing her pace, she raced towards the deposit box, and slipped a key into the lock. A sigh laced its way out of her mouth as, upon looking inside, the various deposits had been removed and taken to their proper places.

The box had been long since cleaned out by the city hall's employees, at least an hour or two ago. It was too late to take it back now.

There was still a ray of hope, though, that eased her mind. She hadn't provided an incredible amount of confirmation anyway. Most of it was written, with only a few pictures. It was likely that they wouldn't accept such an intrepid statement.

Either way, there wasn't a need to worry about it now. Worrying wouldn't bring the article back, or get it lost in transit. For now, the big priority was getting Finnick to the safety of the Police station.

She walked the last block and opened the door to their destination, pushing the buggy inside. The heat of the open air was quickly blotted out by the air conditioned indoors of the station, which did feel excellent to both Judy and the youth she was pushing along.

Clawhauser perked up from the front desk, watching them walk in, "Hey Chief! I heard about that crash, is that the guy's kid?"

"Yeah, he is," She sighed, lifting Finnick out of the carriage, "I'm going to stay in my Office with this little guy tonight, okay? You'll know where I am in the morning if you need me."

"Aw, that's nice of you!" The Cheetah babbled, "My shift ends in about five minutes, but I'm not exactly sure where the guy taking over my position is. He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago!"

"Don't worry about it, Clawhauser," Judy responded tiredly, letting a yawn escape. Some people had very small problems.

"Go on home. I'll take your place until he gets here."

"Oh, there you are being supportive as always, Chief! Thanks!" He lifted his glasses off the desk, and sauntered out of the building, leaving Judy mostly alone.

She placed herself behind the counter, and set Finnick gently on a bench beside her. The two had nothing more to do afterwards than have a staring contest, of sorts. Judy eventually opened a cabinet underneath the desk, and pulled out a small fluffy blanket.

She handed it to Finnick, who snatched it up tiredly, and tangled himself up inside of it. It didn't take long for the infant's head to droop, and soon enough the sound deep breathing pattered against the Officer's sensitive ears.

However, Finnick wasn't the only one falling asleep. After about half an hour of waiting, Judy felt her eyelids getting heavy. She was exhausted physically, mentally, and didn't quite have the willpower to return to her office. Her head lolled a few times, and deciding soon that the Officer working the nightshift would wake her up, she let herself fall into a _very_ deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

~Author's Note: I sincerely apologize for the wait on this next chapter. Life is a busy thing. Hopefully, I can find more time in my schedule to continue writing this, and I appreciate all the support I have received thus far. Thank you all!~

The early morning sun peaked into the Police station, illumining it in a vibrantly beautiful orange glow. In that familiar sunrise fashion, the moment the warm light grazed Judy's whiskers, her eyes dazedly slipped open. A majority of those working that day had already arrived, and were a bit too timid to wake their napping superior. At the time, she had appeared completely dead to the world, and the Officers silently agreed in passing to, 'let the sleeping rabbit lie.'

Perhaps it was just early morning irritability, but Judy found herself quite frustrated with this. She attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes; her keen vision searching for a target to vent at. Clawhauser happened to be the closest nearby, positioned stoutly at the front desk.

The rabbit sat up, prepared to deliver a gallant tongue lashing about not waking her up for roll call, and that no Officer should ever assume their daily tasks. However, she trapped her breath just before speaking, and glanced around the room, noticing a distinct lack of the child who she had placed on the bench just before midnight.

Thoughts flew through her head about Finnick getting into trouble around the station. Perhaps swallowing whatever was in the evidence bags, or throwing neatly organized files on the floor down in records. Further still, what if he had simply left without anyone noticing? Finding a kidnapper wasn't on her preferred list of things to do today.

"…C-Clawhauser," She finally spoke, staring at him with a curious mix of lethargy and oddity on her face, "Where's Finnick? Y'know, that child from the accident yesterday? I set him on that bench last night, w-where is he?"

Clawhauser perked up lightly, turning to face her, "Well, good morning to you too, Chief! Uh, yeah, about him, I'm pretty sure Child Services picked him up not too long ago. Guess some nosy neighbor was keeping an eye on how that fox was treating the kid, right?"

Judy's expression almost instantly fell. Her morning bitterness had turned to curiosity, and then to a genuine sense of heartbreak. It wasn't, in the slightest, comfortable to be both tired and miserable.

"Oh…" One of her ears crooked as she stared forward blankly. She really didn't know whether to sob, or laugh at her misfortune. What she did know is that her stomach had dropped like a piece of fine china, and shattered her thoughts of the past few days so far apart that there was no hope real hope of piecing them together the same way again. Once thing was for certain, though, she _had_ to see Nick.

As much as that thought plagued her, it was vital. She had so much work today, and yet, this still seemed to take priority over everything else.

At some point, Judy Hopps would need to walk into that hospital, and confront possibly the most difficult situation of her present carrier. Her heart fluttered at even the thought of mentioning Child Services to Nick. As much as she needed to see him, there was a more pressing matter: Getting that child back into Nick's care.

"Thanks for letting me know," Judy reluctantly answered the Cheetah, slogging her way off the office chair, "Here, I'll give this back to you. Do you know where the department's telephones are?"

Clawhauser took the weight off his feet, ecstatic to be deskbound again, "Well, it depends which one. There's one in your office, ma'am, remember?"

"…Right." Judy smiled dejectedly, heading towards her workplace, "Still haven't quite woken up yet."

The Chief's office was small, but quaint. A majority of it was filled with filing cabinets, containing many records from previous crimes their department had solved. Directly in the middle of the room though, was a small desk that was perfectly sized for a rabbit of her stature, and on top of it, a phone.

After dialing a familiar number, she held the phone to her ear, waiting for a response. Several rings passed before a perky voice on the other side of the handset chirped up.

"Hello, this is the administrative office of child services, what is your inquiry?"

"Um, Hi," Judy responded, resting her head on her left hand, "This is Judy Hopps, Police Chief of Zootopia. I'm here to discuss a certain child who was removed from my station earlier this morning. I, Um… Wasn't _available_ at the time… Otherwise I would've asked on what grounds he is being removed."

"Oh, Officer Judy it's you!" The voice squeaked again, "One moment please, I'll pull up some information. Hold tight."

Judy drummed her fingers against the desk, awaiting a response. When one finally did come, it wasn't exactly the news she wanted to hear, "Well, Officer Hopps, it actually says on our archives that… You filed the report? Why do you need information on it then?"

"I made a mistake," Was the rabbit's hasty, almost angry reply, "It was an accident, I _never_ meant to file that. Can you please speak to some higher uppers about this? I don't want Finnick taken away from his father."

"Well Judy, Whether you meant to file that report or not, you included some pretty good evidence. I mean, there are written accounts, pictures, and codes for the traffic cameras that picked up some of what you saw. I'll try, but I seriously doubt that I could get anyone to revoke this."

The individual on the other end of the receiver was right; there was a hefty sum of information stacking against any kind of repeal. Judy let her head fall to the desk below her for a moment, before mustering up the urge to raise it again, "You're right… Let's flip the script for a moment. What would it take for the caretaker of said child to get him back?"

The handset went dead briefly, as if the voice coming out of it was searching through computer documents, "Well, let's see… Oh… Officer Hopps, something like this wouldn't be easy."

"Just read what it says on the screen." Judy muttered, knowing full well the employee didn't have facts like this memorized.

"Okay, well, it's quite the mouthful." The voice piped up, "It says, 'In the event that an individual or party files a report with insurmountable evidence against another individual or party pertaining to a removal forum, the conditions decided upon by the severity of the offense cannot be revoked or repealed under any circumstances…"

Judy's heart sank for the second time that morning. However, a small ray of hope shone in her eyes as the voice finished reading the next paragraph.

"…Unless the report in question was filed by an officer of the law or other government authority. In this case, the officer may provide evidence against the claim they filed, and on the condition that the evidence is substantial over a well period of time, then and only then can a properly evinced removal forum be annulled."

"That is a mouthful," Agreed the rabbit with a whim of excitement, "Can you translate that into English please?"

The voice returned her question with just a hint of mockery, "Simply put, if you want to get that kid back into his parent or guardian's care, you're going to need some counter data; like, for example, giving some written accounts and video evidence of the guy being a _good_ dad. Doing what the opposite of what you did, basically."

Judy's thoughts began to straighten. There was hope after all, an exceptionally good amount of it, at that, "Alright, thank you so much! I can work with this material. Goodbye!"

Before the voice could respond, Judy had slammed the phone back into its desk mount, and skittered out of the room. Now, she felt quite excited to talk to Nick. However, as she paced out the sliding doors at the front of the station, the spring in her step began to systematically fade as she began to remember the reason for going to talk to him in the first place.

It was excellent that there was a way of mending the blunder she had made, but on the other hand, she had still made the blunder. The hospitalized fox didn't even know yet that his son had been taken away, and here she was contemplating the easy part.

"…How am I going to break _this_ to him? He's broken enough already, this is just adding onto the pile." She mumbled to herself, who at most times was the best listener. A large part of her wondered if he would even bother listening to her afterwards.

Zootopia's large hospital was within walking distance of the station. In reluctance, Judy had attempted to keep a slightly slower pace throughout the cities' messy networks. Her sorry anticipation of giving bad news sped her up though and it felt to her, the moment she arrived, as if she had just begun to walk.

A brief conversation with the nurse at the front desk allowed her in, despite the fact that visiting hours hadn't started yet. A few flights of stairs later and Hopps arrived in front of room C-12; the room harboring both a critically pained fox, and if her conversation with Nick didn't go as planned, an emotional battleground.

Every ounce of her mental willpower went into opening the door. She felt utterly exhausted as it creeped open, and yet, much more difficult tasks still needed to be done. A waft of cold air, coming through the entryway, collided with Judy's face, which warranted a shiver from the small-feeling rabbit. For a minute she questioned whether it was Nick's room, or just the overwhelming feeling of littleness snaring around her neck.

If there was anything she had been taught through police training, though, it was to keeping pushing herself. Unfortunately, police training didn't really cover emotional conflicts, and as a result Judy found herself marching into semi-new territory.

She let the door bump against its stopper, alerting the half-asleep fox that someone was entering. Nick really wasn't in the mood to converse with anyone. Not even the nurses at the hospital had heard more than an occasional groan from his mouth. He managed to keep his composure well, despite every part of him stinging; from his nearly shattered shoulder, to the bruises encompassing the right side of his figure.

One thing hurt more than all of his other grievances, though, and that was his pride. Like most, Nick didn't rush to make himself look like fool. That is, he didn't unless it paid well. He hadn't meant to get run over in the most obvious sense. As a result of his overactive cognizance, it been a legitimate mistake; a mistake that was being gossiped about on the news right in front of his half lidded eyes.

The TV hummed quietly as Judy entered the room, well prepared for a dangerous look. It didn't come, though. Nick simply stared forward at the television set, taking the arrival of the officer as a time to wallow in his own pity.

For a moment, there was silence. Judy began to question if Wilde had heard her come in. After several more long seconds, she mustered up the urge to speak, "…Mr. Wilde? It's Judy from the crash yesterday, I'm here to-"

Nick stopped her with a hand, before speaking shakily, "I know who you are, I just don't know what you want."

"Well, if you'll let me finish," the rabbit let her hands fall on the bedpost, "I just… First of all, I want to apologize for what happened yesterday."

She took a deep breath, and continued in hopes of easing the dreary mood, "I'm sure, 'getting run over,' wasn't in your plans yesterday, huh?"

Nick let a small smile crook the side of his mouth. He wasn't exactly amused, but as a result of his upbringing he felt the need to respond, "No it wasn't, carrots. Not one bit."

After another moment of stillness, Nick sat up, his eyes widening in remembrance, "What about Finnick? Is he okay? I'm assuming you guys are keeping him for me until I get the heck out of here."

"Um, yes… He's fine…" Judy answered reluctantly, "T-That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you a-about, Nick."

"…Go on." Nick watched her very closely, suddenly becoming alert.

"Mr. Wilde, I said he was fine, and he is. But, there's… U-Um..." Judy was right. This was going to be just as immensely difficult as she thought.

"I made a… _tiny_ mistake Mr. Wilde, and for… For the time being, you won't be able take care of your son."

The metaphorical bomb had finally dropped, along with Nick's inquisitive visage. He let himself sink back into the bed, before glancing down at the comforter in the coldest of manners.

"What do you mean?" The fox replied, almost sternly.

"I-I… I'm…" It felt as if a steel trap had closed around Judy's throat. She swallowed heavily, before attempting to continue.

"I-I'm having trouble speaking, Mr. Wilde…One m-moment."

Nick remained stalk still, staring her down with a hint of dark anticipation, "Well, speak then, rabbit."

A sigh issued from the Officer's mouth, "Okay. I messed up big time, Nick. I did, and I'm sorry."

"You're still… Not answering my question, carrots. Why in the name of all that's holy can I not take care of Finnick? And what-"

He paused, hackles rising in a genuinely subordinate manner, "…What do you have to do with this?"

"Look, I-"Judy stopped herself from becoming angry at his condescending voice, "…That day when I was following you around? I-I wasn't watching you… I was watching how you were treating Finnick. I know I m-may have been concealing that information, but I thought If I said anything you would have been m-more… Careful than usual?"

That sounded filthy out loud. The room took on an unusual silence as Nick began to contemplate what was given to him.

"So, let me get this straight: You raced your little bunny legs around the city for a whole day _just_ to take the one person I actually _care_ _about_ away from me?"

"Hey, let me explain, slick Nick! Don't forget I saved _your_ life by calling that ambulance. Not to mention using my uniform to cut off the blood flow." Judy narrowed her eyes, clearly prepared to defend herself.

Wilde stared for a moment, speechless. The corners of his muzzle began to rise in direct protest, revealing several gritted teeth.

"Get out of my room."

"Y-You…" Judy sighed quickly. She was exasperated by the fox's toxicity. "You haven't let me finish. You see-"

"Get out, Hopps!" He did his best to shout with his croaky voice.

"Nick, please, I need to explain!" She placed a hand on her face, quieting down signifigantly, "It really was an accident. You don't think I feel as horrible as you do about this?"

"As a matter of fact, I don't! I can take a hint, carrots; you filed a report against me _, didn't_ you?" He placed a finger in the air, letting it remain in attendance as a symbol of protest, "If you felt bad about it, you wouldn't have done it in the first place!"

Judy glanced away, pursing her lips together in an attempt to choke back all dismal emotion. The years of Police service had hardened her heart, but for some reason in this stance, all of it was gone. She rarely fought those who disobeyed orders at the station. As much as it hurt to yell at an Officer for breaking the rules, it hurt even more to be yelled at.

What was worse, though, was the reason for yelling. Nick was angry, sure, but anyone in the room could easily feel the repressed sadness behind his loud exterior.

He continued, not letting her guilty expression get the wiser of his heavy dialect, "I know you. You did this just to get back at me, right? 'Hey, that mean sly fox hurt my wittle feewings... Oh, I know! I'll get him hit by a car, and then rub salt in his wounds by taking his _child_ away! That seems suitable."

At this point, Nick had lost all control of himself. There was no more _, 'Never let them see that they get to you.'_ He had full intentions of harming Judy's feelings, and that was exactly what he did.

Another hard swallow accompanied Judy's now watery eyes. She turned to face Nick again, widening her posture in an attempt to stand up to his demeaning behavior, "Listen to me, Nick! I didn't get you hit by that car, you just weren't paying attention! Just like earlier, when you almost let Finnick roll into city traffic!"

Her rant continued, "Look, I'm s-so sorry that I sent in that report, I really am! But you have to understand: I came here to assist you in getting him back! It was my mistake completely, but in order for me to help you at all you're going to need to _get_ _over_ yourself!"

The last few words had bellowed against Nick's wall of pride the hardest. He had fully recoiled from the yelling, and the previous demeaning nature emitting from him melted away entirely. A tongue lashing of that nature hadn't graced Nick's ears since he was very young, and to cope with the harsh tonality he grabbed the edges of his bedspread, tugging it over his knees.

His ears were lightly flattened, expecting to hear more harsh words coming from the officer's mouth. No words came, though; she just stared at him with a painfully sorrowful expression. For a rough looking officer boasting a heart of stone, Judy looked legitimately sad.

The room grew quiet fleetingly. Both residents of it needed a bit of time to recuperate from the verbal war that had taken place. After a moment, the tension had grown past comfortable levels for Nick, and he spoke up, a bit shakily.

"W-Why would you want to help me?"

"Because, I saw you save him." Judy responded. Her unhappiness rose up to a look of compassion, "You might've been able to get around that truck, but instead… You realized you'd rather ensure his life than risk the both of yours. That's when it hit me: You... Really do care about Finnick. You just don't know how to _care_ for him."

"I-I know how to take care of a child, Carrots." Nick didn't speak, his immodesty did.

The Chief shook her head, then cocked it to the side, giving him another empathetic look, "Nick, I'm not stupid… There are certain things you can tell about a person by watching them. I really hate to say it in case I'm actually correct, but I'm sure you've have had some family problems when you were young, right…?"

Nick exhaled a few times, struggling to let his confidence return, "If you're expecting me to give you my life's story, that's not going to happen."

"Nick, you don't have to say a word. I just want you to think about it."

The fox inspected the wall for a moment. For one reason or another, he felt prompted to say something, despite only knowing the Chief for a short while, "I _may_ or _may_ not have had a few family… Issues. Why does this even matter, Hopps, and how did you know about that stuff anyway?"

"It's my job. You and I are a lot alike, Nick. We can read people like a book," Judy plastered an inapt smile on her face, trying to brighten the dim air around them, "Whatever happened, I'm sorry. I'll elaborate, though. People who have experienced stuff like that tend to not really know how to guide a child properly. I'm not saying you're uneducated, you're just used to something completely different."

Nick took his time answering, "…A fair point. I know you're trained at reading people, but since we both have a mutual hate for each other, how about we not talk about our family lives? If there's something you think you need to say, and it involves me at all, keep it to yourself alright?"

"I'm just trying to help you understand." Judy stepped a bit closer, "I messed up big time, Nick. Alright? I-I honestly did everything I could to get the files I sent back, but n-no dice. As I mentioned though, I'm more than willing to fix my mistake, and there is a way we can work together to get Finnick back to you."

Nick leaned against the hospital pillow, groaning a bit. Even though he was listening to the rabbit chat, he really didn't want to. In fact, he would be perfectly happy never seeing her again, provided Finnick wasn't gone.

"Carrots, we may momentarily be on good terms, but you know the last thing I want to do is work with you on something."

"I know, Nick, you've mentioned that already," Judy agreed, "and after this we'll probably never see each other again. I really want to repair what I've broken though, and I need your cooperation for it. Would you at least do it for Finnick?"

The fox thought for a moment, then leaned forward on the bed, placing his muzzle less than a foot away from her. With the utmost sincerity, he gazed into her eyes, speaking clearly.

"Judy, as much as I _dislike_ you, I would chain myself to your arm and follow you around _all day_ if it meant getting Finnick back into my arms. Just tell me what I need to do."

Hopps grinned at his authenticity, wiping the last bit of water from her eyes that had articulated during their argument, "Thank you, Nick."

Wilde reset his position on the bed, choosing this time to examine the patterns on the ceiling. He usually did things of this nature to keep conversations from getting too profound, "Heh, just be careful. I may or may not listen. I guess I should be… Thanking you for trying to help. What are we supposed to do about this anyway?"

"Well, you're _pretty_ ornery; it's not going to be easy." Judy followed suit with Nick's plan, attempting to lighten the mood with a bit of banter.

"Some people call that a free spirit," He smiled a bit, letting his good arm flop idly by the bedside, "Seriously, though."

She shrugged, "The way Child Services explained it to me is that I have to file a sort of counter claim. Like, get a bunch of reports showing that you can be a good parent, and that the other data was just a fluke."

"…Anything that doesn't require effort?" Nick stated only half-jokingly, fluffing his pillow.

"I'm afraid not. You're going to have to get out of your comfort zone on this one."

"Can't we just…" He turned, eyeing her, "You know, since you said you shouldn't have filed all of those accounts anyway. How about we… Make some stuff up and send them that, huh?"

Judy glowered in a challenging manner, "Nick, you're telling me, the _Chief of Police_ , to lie on a government forum. Not going to happen. Which reminds me, if you want me to help you, no more conman stuff, _got_ it?"

"Now that I think about it, that wasn't a bright idea," Nick mortared on an uncomfortable smile, "Yeah, sure carrots. No more conning."

He had full intentions of continuing with his one and only profession, but for the Officer, he would stop those actions until this all blew over. Judy could easily see a lie on someone's face at most times, though. She was aware he would change at the drop of a hat. Perhaps, though, there was a way of breaking his rough exterior and figuring out why that was the case.

It was simply a matter of time.

"Alright, I should probably go and get to work, Nick. _You_ need to get some rest. I'll make the preparations for our deal, and once you're out of here, swing by the station. We'll get started then."

Nick eased into the bed, fitting into a fox shaped imprint he had left on the memory foam the night prior, "I gotcha, carrots. I'm not too banged up anyway. Give me a week or so, and I'll be out."

"Nick," Hopps chuckled, "you got hit by a truck. It might be a _bit_ longer than a week."

"Nah, I'm not that damaged. Nothing a complete blood transplant and a new skeleton won't fix." Exaggeration was Wilde's favorite form of comedy.

"Oh, Sure," Judy rolled her eyes, walking towards the door. She paused before reaching it, and turned, "Nick?"

"…Yes, carrots?"

"I appreciate your good attitude about all of this."

Nick raised an eyebrow, flashing his patented smile, "Don't worry, I'll probably make a big fuss at some point; Just not quite yet."

He sighed and spoke again, getting a bit more serious, "Thank you, once again… For helping me out. It means a lot to me that you aren't ditching me in the dirt."

"It's what we do at the ZPD." Judy gave one more leer before leaving the room, exiting the hospital, and heading back towards the station.

And from there, the Officer spent her day ordering those who needed to be ordered, and generally speaking, having a much more exciting afternoon than Wilde's.

On the flip side, Nick was left solo with a lot of unanswered questions floating around in his mind. Was any of this worth it? Perhaps Judy was just trying to get some kind of information out of him, and was lying to do so? Most importantly, though. One particular query circled the ring of his conscious again and again. A question so integral to his persona that it gripped him, and wouldn't bother letting go.

With both his profession, and attitude towards life, would getting Finnick back be the right thing in the first place? Or would it cause the child to end up just like his father: Fundamentally and undeniably _flawed_.


End file.
